Computing devices such as a computer, sometimes include one or more ports that allow a peripheral device to be connected to the computer. One type of port is a universal serial bus (USB) port that allows connection with other USB devices like a keyboard, mouse, video monitor, disk drives, memories, and the like. A computing device may include ports on its front side and its back side. In public environments such as libraries or shopping centers, it may be desirable to secure the front port(s) of a computing device to prohibit user access and to protect against data theft, viruses, and/or other situations that may occur through unauthorized user access.
Some prior systems attempted to secure the front ports by turning off power to the ports. This required additional circuitry in the system and added additional costs. Furthermore, even though the ports did not function, the operating system was able to detect the front ports and configure them, thereby allowing a self-powered device to function with the ports.